• 1776
• Book by Peter Stone . Music and Lyrics by Sherman Edwards
• Directed and Choreographed by Stephen Nachamie
• Reviewed by Tim Treanor

If 1776 was merely a musical, it would not be much of one. Its pleasant score contains not a single memorable song, and the harmonies tend toward the barber-shop variety. Similarly, Olney’s production would be unremarkable. The voices are competent, though a few – Jessica Lauren Ball and the sturdy Rob Richardson as Martha and Thomas Jefferson, for example – are wonderful.  But 1776 isn’t merely a musical. It’s our story, an American history play expressed in the prototypically American art form.  It moves us to joy and sadness [Read more...]